Back at One
by White-Knight-1988
Summary: The sequel to "Drops of Jupiter." Tommy's off in New York and Kim's got a secret admirer. Just what craziness is going on for this pair of lovebirds? And what happens when Tommy comes back to town? NOTE: Line breaks in the story have been fixed.


_This is the sequel to _Drops of Jupiter_. If you haven't read that already, this probably won't make a whole lot of sense so I suggest reading that one in advance. This is set a little over six months after Adam and Aisha's wedding in _DoJ._ Enjoy!_

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_  
_

For as proud as I am to have been born in the 1970's and to have made it out of the 80's with my head still attached to my neck, I am, and always will be, a product of the 90's. Yeah, I did the 80's thing: side-ponytails, off-shoulder shirts in way-too-bright-to-be-fashionable-neon, larger-than-life hair bows, leg warmers and sneakers that lit up with every step.

Like I said, I lived through the 80's. You can't really fault a girl that one. Besides, I was an impressionable young lady at the time; it's not my fault that I had the likes of Madonna, Joan Jett and Paula Abdul to look up to.

Still, the 90's are the part of my past that I seem to hold onto the most. Almost every major event in my life has happened in that decade. I turned thirteen, sixteen and eighteen--three big birthday's in any girl's life--all in the 90's. I graduated high school, made friendships that would last a lifetime and had two of biggest things in my life happen; I met the love of my life and I became Earth's first Pink Power Ranger.

A freaking Power Ranger! Let me repeat that again just to make sure you understand; I, Kimberly Ann Hart, born February 14, 1978 at 12:09 a.m. in Angel Grove Memorial Hospital, was a POWER RANGER!

Do you have any idea how insane that that must have sounded to me, a little fifteen year-old Valley Girl with no real understanding of a world even existing outside of Angel Grove? A floating head, a talking, walking robot, incredible superpowers, huge Zords and fighting evil villains with your best friends, sure helps a girl to grow up quick, though.

Most people say that if they could go back in time to do something differently, to have the ability to fix some mistake they made, that they would. I'm not one of those people but I will admit that reminiscing about the good ol' days is always fun. Memories are part of who you are and I am who I am today because of the past.

It's because of the past that I met Tommy. He's the reason that I'm here sitting all alone in our apartment in the middle of November, the cold wind and rain beating against the windows with no one here to help keep me warm.

The fact that I'm alone is why I've gone all nostalgic so randomly and suddenly. Tommy's been gone for four days and I miss him terribly so I've gone into the closet in the guest bedroom and pulled out every old CD either one of us ever bought in, and kept from, the 90's.

Certain songs from that time were special to us, for whatever reasons. Some were funny, some were stupid, others romantic and loving. Hell, some of them weren't even released until after I had ended our relationship in high school but, regardless of their origins, all of them make me feel closer to Tommy.

At the moment, I'm on my laptop with iTunes open, uploading new songs for a playlist I just decided to create. Each and every song is coming off one of those CD's I unearthed from a box in the guest bedroom closet.

And yes, I did indeed say "coming off a CD." As a former musician who still dabbles in singing and playing the guitar from time to time, I'm a firm believer in obtaining music through legal means. I'll take the feeling of walking into a record store and buying a CD over a Morpheus or Limewire download any day. There's just something about spending fifteen minutes fighting with the stupid cellophane that makes listening to the music all the more enjoyable. At least, that's the way I look at it.

But anyway, I've gotten off track a little bit, haven't I? Yeah, I definitely think I have.

So, like I was saying, I've got my iTunes folder open and I'm transferring songs from CD's into a playlist that I've dubbed "The Best of the 90's." Okay, not very original, I know, but give a girl a break. Four and a half days away from your business partner, best friend, and boyfriend isn't easy.

Tommy hates it but I actually call him Triple-B on occasion. He's everything I need in life tied up in one nice, neat, tidy, incredibly sexy, package.

As of right now, I've just finished going through _Yourself or Someone Like You_, an old Matchbox 20 album and I'm perusing through this box for another old CD. You're shaking your head, I know, but if you grew up in American in the 1990's and say that you didn't love "3 A.M." or "Push" I'd look you right in the eye and call you a liar. Those songs were freaking awesome!

I'm looking at Marcy Playground's self-titled--and only major--album now, wondering why in the hell I ever bought this stupid record. Then I start humming a familiar tune and it all comes back to me. I'm tempted to start singing about sex and candy, being downtown by myself, having too much time, double cherry pie and disco lemonade but I stop myself before things get too out of hand.

For a quick second I think about putting it back in the box but I can't bring myself to do it. I want to do it, really I do. I'd like nothing more than to toss that one-hit wonder into it's cardboard prison but I just can't.

"I smell sex and candy, here. Who's that lounging in my chair? Who's that casting devious stares in my direction? Mama, this surely is a dream," I sing.

I couldn't help it! I tried but that song is too damn catchy to ignore and if Adam and Aisha can play "Sex and Candy" at their wedding then, dammit, I can put it on my iPod, so there! Neener-neener-neener! I just stuck my tongue out even though there's no one here but me.

Okay, calm down Hart. You're starting to lose it here. Just take a few deep breaths and relax. There you go, sweetie. Just like Dr. Trini and Dr. Aisha taught you to do it. Oh, God, now I'm talking to myself. This is getting ridiculous.

I just wish Tommy would get back home already! It's not fair, dammit! From this moment forward I will forever hate any and all events held or sanctioned by the United States Martial Arts Association.

Tommy's off schmoozing with famous martial artists, rubbing elbows with guys like Jackie Chan and Jet Li while I'm stuck at home putting old songs on my computer. Now that I think about it, from this moment forward I will forever hate Tommy's prowess as a martial artist as well. If he wasn't so damn good at what he did, he wouldn't have gotten invited to New York City to receive an award for contribution to the sport.

I should be happy for him and deep down, I think I am. Being recognized by the USMAA is a huge honor for anyone but no one deserves it more than Tommy. As a Power Ranger, he sacrificed so much for so long without anyone knowing it was him saving the world on an almost daily basis. He deserves a little recognition now, even if it isn't for wearing spandex and fighting monsters.

Yeah, I guess I am happy for him. I just really, really, really miss him. We've been back together for six months now and I've never been more in love. I honestly think we're stronger now than we were back in high school and that's a testament to how strongly we feel towards each other.

I'm not saying that there are wedding bells coming any time soon but I can definitely see myself being with Tommy for the rest of my life. We've taken our hits just like any other couple but, through it all, we somehow managed to make it out intact.

We fight. Not a lot, but we still fight. We're business partners, after all, so there's bound to be a few discrepancies along the way. Our mentalities are just completely different when it comes to running our school. While I take the calm, rational side of things, Tommy's approach to business is much the same as it was when he was a Ranger.

He dives headfirst into a lot of projects without always thinking them through all the way. More often than not, this leads to me having to find a way to bail him out of whatever predicament he managed to get himself stuck in.

Still, I find myself loving him more and more everyday. His touch is gentle and loving but strong in its own right. He smells like…well, I don't know how to really describe it other than he smells the way a man should smell. His smile makes my heart flutter and I could practically swim in those chocolate pools of things he calls eyes.

He calls them eyes, our friends call them eyes, the whole world calls them eyes, and I call bullshit!

No other man in the world has eyes like Tommy's, plain and simple. It isn't hard to get lost in them. I've caught everyone from parents--yes _parents,_ not just _mothers_--of his students, to the college girls working at our local Starbuck's captivated by them.

And you know what? They're all mine! Score one for Team Shortness, baby!

Insert maniacal laugh here.

Okay, first I thought I was losing it but now I realize that I truly am. Tommy needs to get home soon before I really go nuts.

I'm not going to lie, I miss Tommy's, ahem, _other qualities_, almost as much as I miss him. He's got the uncanny ability to make me quiver in ways I never thought were even possible. That thing he does with his tongue is just…okay, too much information.

Thinking about Tommy like that is only going to make me want to pull out another old box, one with many battery operated devices inside that I'd soon leave tucked away in my closet. I haven't needed them since Tommy and I got back together at Adam and Aisha's wedding and I'd like to keep things that way.

A look to the calendar in the home office we share tells me that I don't have very much longer to wait before he gets back home. Tommy left on Friday night and he would have been home yesterday night, Sunday, if not for a huge blizzard in New York City that has kept all flights grounded for the last day and a half.

Ugh! I want to fold my arms across my chest, pout my lips and stomp my foot like Veruca Salt in the Willy Wonka movie. Except I don't want an Oompa-Loompa or a goose that lays golden eggs. I just want my man, the man I love more than anything, to come home.

When I look at the clock I have to rub my eyes and do a double check. I left the school at four, got home, changed, and settled down by five, and hadn't left the computer in almost three hours. Eight o'clock isn't late by any stretch of the imagination but with no Tommy to keep me busy, I had almost neglected my other passion.

_Prison Break_.

I swear, if Tommy wasn't in my life, I'd hunt down Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell, tie them both up and have my way with them until neither could stand upright. Oh yeah, I said it.

The only other show that gets me this jazzed is _24_ but the stupid Writer's Guild strike has postponed my ability to snuggle up on the couch with my head on Tommy's lap and ogle at Kiefer Sutherland for an hour.

And you know what the best part is? Tommy loves those shows too. Albeit his reasons are different than mine but he doesn't have to know that. Hey, I'm allowed to look at the menu without ordering, right? It's not like I haven't caught Tommy looking at other women before.

When we were kids that might have bothered me. Actually, it would have done more than that. It would have sent me through the roof. But that was then and this is now. Then, I was an insecure teenager. Now, I'm a confidant and grown woman who knows what she has.

What I have is a man who I love more than anything and who I trust even more than I trust myself most times. It doesn't upset me that he looks at other women because, at the end of the day, I know who he's going to be cuddled up with under the sheets.

He can look all he wants. He can look because it doesn't mean anything. He looks at them with typical male desire so I can't fault him that. It's when he looks at me that his eyes go from desire to love and I know that there is nowhere else in the world he'd rather be than with me.

Even after all these years together I still hold that special place in his heart.

Toss another point on the board for Team Shortness!

And while I'd never verbally admit to it--I've still got to have a few cards that I can use against him--Tommy still has that same place in my heart that he's had since we first met. The place hasn't changed, it's just expanded with time spent both together and apart.

In fact, it's the time we spend apart that I think really makes our love grow stronger. Being together is great but it's when you are apart that you realize how much someone means to you. Missing Tommy this much hurts but I know seeing him soon will be worth the wait.

Now I'm excited thinking about him coming home. He's supposed to call me tomorrow morning sometime to let me know if he'll be able to get a flight or not. I've got my fingers crossed.

Speaking of that, what's up with that anyway? I've always thought that crossing your fingers in hope was a rather hypocritical gesture considering it's a typical kid's excuse for lying or breaking a promise.

Wow. That was a pointless tangent to go off on.

For the last fifteen minutes now I've been watching _Prison Break_. Wait, let me correct that. I haven't really been watching it, per se. Watching it entails paying attention to dialogue and the storyline. You can't really call it watching if you have the volume on mute so you can stare at the two hunks onscreen without having to understand what's actually going on.

Something tells me that I'm not the only female in America that has done this. Actually, I know that for a fact. I'm going to rephrase that one too. I'm not the only female Power Ranger that has done that. Believe it or not, Trini is the one who opened my eyes to the amazing world of _Prison Break_ on mute. Turns out our little shy, quiet, reserved, first Yellow Ranger isn't as innocent as we all thought.

I'm literally captivated by this show to the point that it's borderline disgusting. Fake violence doesn't do it for me, not when I've seen the real thing up close and personal, so it's not that that draws me to the show. Knowing that the only reason I watch it is for the guys gives me a queasy feeling in my stomach.

This is the first time that's ever happened before and it takes me a few minutes before I realize why. Tommy isn't here and now I feel guilty about looking at them in that way. The only reason I ever felt comfortable looking at those guys was because I always did it when Tommy was around.

It seems like backwards logic but it's really not. I was looking at them in the presence of the man they could never be. It's like having the choice between eating a big fat cheeseburger or a salad. The cheeseburger looks good but it pales in comparison to the smarter, healthier choice.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Tommy's anything like a salad. I tend to think of him as a nice, juicy, hunk of…I mean, he's just the right choice for me. Sappy as that sounds, it's the truth.

Contrary to my reputation in high school, I'm no longer naïve to the world. I did my fair share of dating in between breaking up and reuniting with Tommy, and I've seen both the best and worst that the male gender has to offer. The only difference is that there is no "worst" when it comes to Tommy.

Sure, he has his imperfections. We all do. Tommy talks in his sleep, hogs the sheets, forgets to shut the fridge or put a new bag in the trash can after emptying it. He leaves the toilet seat up, rarely replaces the toilet paper and…he'd lose it if I told anyone this, but…he_farts_.

And I'm not talking discreetly either. He's let go of some monsters in my presence with zero reverence whatsoever. Sometimes I think he's trying to see how much of him I'm really willing to put up with.

Ha! If that's the case, it's going to take more than a few earthshaking, scent destroying, headache inducing, farts to get me to make a fuss. I love him so I put up with some stuff I normally wouldn't. But don't feel bad for me. Tommy gets just as much as he gives.

He's made quite a few late night runs to the drug store for me whenever Aunt Flo decided to pay her monthly visits and he's never once complained about it. When I'm moody or angry he brings me ice cream and lets me vent to him, listening and contributing but never judging me.

Neither one of us is perfect. Like I said, we argue as much as any other couple. A few people said it couldn't work again, Tommy and I as a couple, but every day we make it work. Through our love for each other we've stayed strong.

I love him.

I have the sudden urge to run up the stairs to the roof of our apartment building and scream it for the world to hear. I want everyone alive to know that I love Tommy Oliver but right now I'd settle for just being able to tell him.

When the credits for _Prison Break_ hit, I let out a sigh and decide to call it a night. These past few weeks I've been doing a little extra, early morning training with a very promising young girl named Amber. She's only twelve but I can already see the potential that she has. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if I ended up seeing her in the Olympics four or eight years down the road.

I know it won't be long before her parents start pushing her the same way that my parents pushed me and I just want her to be as prepared for it as possible. These early morning sessions are more about getting her ready for the rigorousness of being a serious gymnast than anything else.

Only the best and most promising of my students get my time at seven in the morning when I'd rather be asleep like Tommy who doesn't have to be in the office until nine. He only teaches two classes, one at three and one at five. With the idea of expanding to a second location, most of his time is spent in his office.

Lucky bastard.

But that's not really fair to Tommy. We've both turned over most of the actual teaching to students we've already trained, knowing that they'll pass on the same knowledge that we would have given.

You'd think working together that we'd see each other all the time but, surprisingly, that's really not the case with us. Even though we co-own the school and both make the same amount of money, he is the real "owner." He deals with everything from advertising the school to finding financing for things like our planned expansion.

I, on the other hand, have more of a managerial type of role. I'm the one on the floor making sure that everything is running smoothly. When a parent has a complaint, I'm the one that hears it. It's a role I both dislike and enjoy at the same time.

If it really bothered me that much I could push Tommy for a job with duties more like his and he'd have to give them to me. Tommy just kind of assumed the leader role and I never really had the desire to question it. Still don't.

Part of a successful relationship is knowing when to pick your battles. I know that Tommy isn't oppressing me in anyway, if I thought that he was I'd tell it to him in a heartbeat. He knows I won't stand for being the woman standing behind him. It's either next to him or nothing at all.

In the long run, I just think that having to deal with a few sour parents isn't really worth raising a stink about.

It's with a sad sigh that I turn off the television and head for the confines of my half-empty bed. I have to be up by five-thirty if I'm going to make it to the school by seven.

After brushing my teeth I realize that I forgot to eat dinner. I'm hungry but it's not for food. I want--no--I need Tommy. I need him like I need air in my lungs. I'm really hoping that he can fly back tomorrow. If not, that box might be getting a second look.

My head hits the pillow and I'm out almost immediately. With Tommy in New York I've had to pull double duty these last few days. I'm tired and sore and I really could use one of Tommy's massages but I know it's not gonna happen so I allow myself to drift off, thinking about, hopefully, picking Tommy up at the airport the next day and all the things I was going to do to him afterwards.

Team Shortness-2, The World-0

I always win.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amber just hit the showers after our morning training and now I'm sitting in my office waiting for Tommy to call me and let me know if he was able to get a flight or not. I haven't been this nervous since Tommy and I shared our first kiss by the lake. My stomach fluttered then but now it feels like it's going a hundred times faster.

For fifteen minutes I sit around in my office and do nothing except reply to the many emails my fellow female Rangers send me on a daily basis. I forward a few of the chain letters that Trini sends me, tell Aisha that my sex life with Tommy is none of her business, and let Katherine know that I would be honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding.

Then the phone rings and I practically jump out of my chair to answer it.

It's someone looking for Tommy. I politely tell them that Tommy is out of town, take down a message and assure them that he will get the message as soon as he gets home.

Well, maybe not _as soon_ as he gets home. I do have some plans for him that will keep us both busy for at least a couple hours once he gets back. Whenever that may be.

After ten more minutes I decide to get up and do my first check of the morning activities. It's mostly college kids and adults in the mornings so there's usually no problems but I still like to check just to be on the safe side.

Like I expected, not much is going on. A few of my students who attend the local community college are off practicing on their own. They notice me and take a break so I stop to chat with them for a few minutes in between checking on classes and nursing my Starbuck's.

They're good kids. Hard workers both in the gym and in the classroom as well. And at least one of them has a real opportunity to make a career out of gymnastics.

I don't tell her that, of course. Putting that much pressure on someone is something I've never felt comfortable doing. Coach Schmidt and my parents put that pressure on me and it got me nothing but a few silver medals and a whole lot of heartbreak.

Not worth it if you ask me.

If I hadn't gone off to Florida, I have no doubt in my mind that Tommy and I would already be married with at least one little rugrat running around. Instead, we're still trying to get to know each other again. It's like we're learning all of each other's little quirks and queries for the second time in our lives.

Every moment I spend with Tommy is a journey towards something bigger. That's how I feel, like we're destined to do this together. It may sound corny but I've never felt more complete than when I'm with Tommy. I truly believe that our hearts belong together.

Nothing else could have brought us back and given us a second chance, a second chance that I'm determined not to let get away again. He's mine and I plan on holding onto him for a very long time.

If he'd ever get his ass home.

Apparently I missed a call when I was out doing my rounds because the little red light on my desk phone was blinking when I got back into my office. I took a deep breath and held it in as pushed the button to listen to the voicemail.

_Hey you, it's your friendly neighborhood ape just calling in to check up on you. My mom is babysitting Dominic this weekend so Alyssa and I were wondering if you and Tommy wanted to get together for dinner and drinks Friday night. Give me a call and let me know. I'll talk to you later, Pinky._

Damn you, Rocky! Damn you for calling me in the middle of expecting an important call from Tommy and getting my hopes up that it was him! Damn you, I say! Damn you!

Whew. Let that breath out and write yourself a note to call Rocky back. There you go, Kim. Just like that. Good girl.

By the time noon rolls around and I decide to step out for lunch, I'm seriously starting to worry about Tommy. I know he's forgetful but when he says he's going to do something, he does it. It's not like him to forget to call me after promising me he would.

Maybe I'm just paranoid or something. Taking too many hits to the head from Putties in my younger days is a reasonable excuse, right? I think it is and that means that Team Shortness scores again!

3-0 if you're keeping track at home.

I've got my favorite Chicken Caesar Salad and a banana-peach-strawberry smoothie from this cute little restaurant around the corner from the school, both of which I set down on my desk before collapsing into my office chair. I spare a quick glance at the phone to see that I have no messages and then go for my salad.

I haven't had a decent meal in the last four and a half days up until this very moment. If it wasn't for Tommy I wouldn't eat anything but peanut butter sandwiches, Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese, and those cute little fruit snacks with the characters from _Shrek_ and_Scooby-Doo_ on them.

History and precedence say that it should be me taking care of Tommy instead of the other way around but I can't cook to save my life and Tommy really enjoys it. Plus, Tommy's so sexy when he's in the kitchen. It seems like every time he cooks he wears something that he knows that will get my hormones rumbling.

The last time he cooked for us was the day before he left for New York. I remember him standing in the kitchen, barefoot with a dish towel over his shoulder, wearing this tight black t-shirt tucked into a pair of even tighter blue jeans. The way those clothes hugged every muscle of his body sent shivers up my spine. Needless to say, dinner got put on hold for quite a while and the kitchen counter got used for something very new that night.

Mmmm…I hope he's wearing something like that whenever I get to pick him up. I already know that the moment I see him I'm going to give him a kiss that will make him never want to leave me in L.A. again.

It's then, for the first time, that I notice the bouquet of flowers sitting on my desk that hadn't been there when I left for lunch. In a beautiful vase are two dozen roses, twelve pink and twelve white. I can tell by the color choice that they're from Tommy but there's a card attached so I pick that up and read it to myself.

_To My Beautiful,_

_Just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you and that I can't wait to see you again. I miss you but I'll be home before you know it. I love you, Kimberly._

_Love,_

_Tommy_

I can feel tears touch my eyes as I fold the card back up and return it to the side of the vase. Tommy has a habit of doing sweet little things like this when I least expect it and the fact that he did this all the way from New York makes me smile even brighter than I usually would.

Upon further review I discovered that each of the roses had one of those miniature, individually wrapped, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups resting inside. My favorite candy, yum! Tommy definitely has scored himself some major brownie points with that one.

I think I'll have to give him an extra-special thank you when he gets home…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kim doesn't know that I'm on my way home yet and I plan on keeping it that way so I sent her the roses to make her think that I was still trapped in a New York City blizzard. Technically, I guess I still should be but it really pays dividends to have connections with every Power Ranger team in history.

Right now, the three-dimensional hologram of Earth that I'm looking at has a red blip flashing as it moves across the American Midwest. If I had to guess, I'd say that we're probably flying over Illinois but we're so high up that I can't see anything. We're literally flying _above_ the weather and let me tell you, the view from up here is incredible. Everything just seems so peaceful when you can't actually see what's happening down there.

I have to admit, my current choice of transportation has me feeling a little bit guilty. While I don't think hitching a ride with an old friend counts as using the Power for personal gain, I can't help but wonder what Zordon would think if he knew what I was doing. I'm not teleporting or morphing but the Astro Megaship really isn't a very conventional way to travel.

It's very possible that Kim doesn't remember what today is. Hell, I probably wouldn't have even remembered if I hadn't marked it on my calendar at the beginning of the year. Today is a special day for Kim and I. Believe me, I wouldn't have commandeered an alien spacecraft if it wasn't.

That and that alone is the only reason why I called Andros. I had plans for this day, none of which included being snowed in all the way across the freaking country. I was desperate, so sue me.

Up here, above the clouds, I could definitely get used to traveling like this. And while I don't know a whole lot about space travel, I don't think that Andros was exaggerating when he said that this was the fastest spaceship in the galaxy.

Fifteen minutes ago we had taken off from a secluded area in Central Park. Five minutes ago we were over the Midwest. Now, the holographic globe is putting us over Arizona. I'm no math expert either but, in my head, that works out to somewhere in between one and five minutes before we're in Los Angeles.

Tommy math is killer. It never fails.

Andros is trying to talk to me and I'm trying to listen but my head just isn't there. I've already missed out on two of the three things I had wanted done by this time. Neither breakfast in bed nor the picnic lunch I had planned on got to happen but at least I managed to still get the roses sent. Hopefully Kim got them. Now, I'm trying to plot out how I'm going to accomplish everything else that I wanted to do today.

Some plans have already been put into motion, others haven't. Either way, I still have quite a bit of work to do before this night has come to an end.

A few minutes later, when Andros tells me we're about to land on the roof of my apartment building, I take a look at my watch. It's been exactly four minutes and seventeen seconds since we were flying over Arizona.

I told you Tommy math never fails.

Then I'm face-to-face with the realization that Andros is going to land a huge spaceship on top of an apartment building in downtown Los Angeles at lunch time. I'm panicky now and I feel like I could start hyperventilating at any moment.

It takes Andros nearly five minutes of explaining to me that the Megaship had a cloaking device that made it invisible before I finally calmed down. I know Andros well enough to know that he would never do anything like that without thinking it through but I wasn't exactly thinking straight either.

But that's beside the point. I thank Andros another half-dozen times for picking me up and then exit via the boarding ramp. With the wind created by the Megaship's engines whipping me in the face, I have to wait a few minutes before the ship is gone before I try to move. I can tell when the ship is elevating because the wind starts moving higher and higher until I no longer feel it anymore. Once that's done and over with I head for the door and steps that will lead me to the top floor.

I grab the first elevator I see and take it down to our floor. I'm not surprised by the disheveled appearance of our apartment. Kim's not much for domestic stuff like cooking and cleaning. I don't really like it either but if I didn't do it, it'd never get done.

One thing I've learned is to pick my battles. Certain things just aren't worth arguing over. Besides, I know I'm not the easiest person to live with and that Kim puts up with a ton of my shit. I don't think I could get away with half the stuff I do now with any other woman but Kim. The fact that she puts up with all of my little quirks like being forgetful is just a small part of why I love her so much.

These past four and a half days have been harder than I could have ever imagined. On the list of crappy things that have happened to Tommy, I'm thinking this goes at Number Three, right behind Kim leaving for Florida and the breakup letter. Not even losing my powers has made me feel this empty inside.

I hate to say it just because it's so damn cheesy, but Kim really makes me want to be a better man. There's so much love in that tiny body of hers and the way she shares it with everyone is absolutely incredible. Kim's the type of person who will always look for the best in people even when no one else is willing to. As Rangers, we all went out of our way to help people but Kim just supersedes us all in that department.

It's a little past two o'clock now and I should probably call Kim and tell her I won't be coming home today. Yeah, I know, I'm already home but she doesn't know that and I don't want her to. Hopefully she's busy at the school today 'cause I have stuff to do around here and I can't afford for her to come home early and catch me.

Which reminds me…I still need to go to the mall and pick up those packages that I ordered last week. I'll have to call Kim while I'm driving, I guess. Just gotta grab my keys and I'm out the door and on my way.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tommy isn't coming home today and I feel like the wind has been completely knocked out of my sails. I stayed at the school until five tonight, later than I usually would. I just needed something to keep my mind off of missing Tommy.

There's a long white box with a big pink ribbon tied around it sitting on our bed when I get home. After the roses earlier, I have a feeling this is from Tommy too and my hands are shaking as I slide the bow off the package.

I have to take a step back and put my hands over my mouth when I see what's inside. Laid out perfectly in the box is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. It's black and strapless with a pink tie that looks like it would go right under my chest, almost like something out of the 50's. This dress was easily four--maybe even five--hundred bucks.

I hold it up to my body and see that it goes to just above my knees. Tommy has great taste. At least, I think it's Tommy that sent me this. I should probably see if there's a card attached or anything. Just like I thought, there's a little white card just like on the roses that's tied around the ribbon.

_Kimberly,_

_Wear this and meet me at _Table 8_ tonight at 7:30 sharp. A car will arrive at 7:00 to pick you up. I look forward to seeing you tonight._

_-Your Secret Admirer_

Okay, first I was excited but now I'm a little bit concerned. The card isn't signed by Tommy and it's not even in his handwriting. I'm feeling a panic attack coming on.

I don't know what to do. I mean, I have a pretty good feeling that this is Tommy toying with me but he just called a few hours ago and told me he was still stuck in New York. And he sounded so disappointed when he called so what if it's not him? I don't get all the ogling that Tommy gets but a I've caught a few of the male parents at the school giving me a second look. I may not be a teenager anymore but age hasn't been that bad to me yet and Tommy still thinks I'm beautiful.

He tells me so everyday.

One thing I know for sure is that I have to make a decision on what I'm going to do in the next five minutes. It's already 5:30 and the card said a car would be here to pick me up at 7:00. That really only gives me a little more than an hour to make myself look presentable enough to wear this dress to a restaurant as fancy as _Table 8._

I've read about it in magazines before. It's on Melrose Avenue in the heart of the city which instantly makes it incredibly popular. The food is expensive and getting in is almost impossible if you aren't rich, famous, or a combination of the two. I may have won a few silver medals in the Pan Global's but I'm not famous by any stretch of the imagination. Neither is Tommy and while we both do sufficient financially, neither of us is rich.

Truth is, I don't think either one of us really wants to be. We're at that place where money isn't important. The school is doing well, we're doing what we love to do and we have each other. There's not much more out of life that I could want.

I don't care about a big house in the hills. I'm happy with the two-bedroom apartment I share with the man of my dreams. I don't need a new BMW every two years. I drive the same '99 Toyota Camry that I drove in college. And who cares about schmoozing it up with celebrities when you've got friends like I do? I'd much rather spend time with them than singers and movie stars.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I like--no--I _love _my life. When Tommy and I were apart I never dreamt that we would make it to this place one day. I was over him and he was over me. Both of us had moved on and then fate decided to pull us back together again. I'm so grateful that it did.

I'm smiling down at the dress I'm holding in my arms with tears in my eyes. My teeth are doing that little bite move on my lower lip that they always do when I'm nervous. I haven't been this nervous since Tommy asked me to the Fall Dance after he lost his Green Ranger powers.

The only reason I'm even debating going is that I don't want to show up and have it not be Tommy waiting for me when I get there because the moment I step out of that car I'm pretty much stuck with whoever it is for the night. Right now, I don't want to be stuck with anyone that isn't my White Knight.

Still, I've got this nagging feeling in my stomach and I really feel like I should go. So I think I'm going to. Yeah, I do. I am. And Mr. Oliver, believe you me, sir, I am going to knock your socks off tonight and then kick you in the ass for not telling me you were coming home.

But not too hard. I don't want to hurt him or anything. He's going to need all of his strength and stamina for later on once these shenanigans are over. That's right, I said shenanigans and I swear to God, I'll pistol whip the next one of you that says shenanigans.

God, I love _Super Troopers_ mostly because I've seen Bulk and Skull as policemen and the cops in the movie have nothing on those two. But that's beside the point now, isn't it? I've got a hot shower and an even hotter--hopefully--date waiting for me.

Let me tell you, nothing beats a hot shower after a day at work. A hot shower has the ability to refresh even the most exhausted of people. Tommy bought me some of my favorite bath stuff the other day--just because, I might add--and, while I'd love to kick back, relax, and put them to good use, I'm in a bit of a rush.

I realize midway through my shower that my legs could use a quick shave. They aren't hairy by any stretch of the imagination but I want them to look absolutely killer in that dress.

Okay, maybe I was wrong about them not being hairy. I must not have had had a good angle the first time I took look at them Hey, it's November and I'm in jeans or sweat pants all the time so give a girl a break!

Once my legs are silky smooth I finish my shower with my hair, using the lavender shampoo that I know Tommy loves. By the time I'm out of the shower and all dried off, it's already a few minutes after six. Doing my makeup is going to take at least half-an-hour and I still have to get dressed, do my hair and pick out shoes!

And knowing Tommy, the car will be here late, I'm guessing around 7:15 instead of 7:00 and I'll have gotten in a rush for nothing. But I can't take that chance and I'm forced to hurry myself a little more than I would have liked. Still, at the end of it all, I think I turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.

My hair is done up in a cute little bun with a pink bow to match the one on my dress and my lips are a rosy shade of red. Add in a little pink mascara and I really look the part of the typical 50's girl; like something straight out of _Happy Days._

But while I'm completely in love with the style, I could never imagine myself living in the 50's. There's a little too much girl-power flowing through these veins to put up with being a career housewife. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not me.

I was wrong about the car being late too. The driver buzzed our apartment at 6:56. Now, I'm seriously thinking that this might not be Tommy I'm meeting. Of course, I'm only joking and I'll be sure to throw it at Tommy later, too.

The white limousine waiting downstairs looked just like any other limousine from the outside. It was the inside that was so spectacular. Everything inside was as white as the paint job. All the upholstery, the electronics, the fridge, everything was white. Well, almost everything.

Standing upright on the floor was a bottle of champagne and a glass. The bottle, like the dress box before it, had a little white card attached to it. I carefully remove the card and read it to myself.

_Kimberly,_

_Have a glass of champagne while you ride. Can't wait to see you. I bet you look beautiful. See you soon._

_-Your Secret Admirer_

"Beautiful," I reiterate in a whisper. Now I'm sure that it's Tommy. After all the stuff he's done today, I've almost completely forgotten about the fact that he didn't tell me he was home. A few more things like this and I just might let it slip my mind.

Maybe.

The magazines don't do the exterior of this restaurant any justice whatsoever. This place is beautiful and I'm captured by the elegant architecture the moment I see it. The inside is just as amazing. Everything is done in gorgeous shades of maroon, black and gold.

With my three-inch heels on I stand almost eye-to-eye with the rather short maître d' who's maybe five-seven. But he's polite, asks my name in a heavy French accent and immediately takes me to a table where my second glass of champagne is already waiting for me.

Tommy Oliver, if you think you're going to get action by getting me drunk then…well, you're probably right actually. Not that I really need any extra motivation to jump Tommy's bones but a little alcohol-induced courage doesn't ever hurt.

The dinner menu is pretty tiny. There's only nine or ten entrée choices but everything sounds delicious. My mind is deciding between the New Zealand Salmon and the grilled baby chicken when the waiter appears at my side. A quick look at his nametag tells me that his name is Eric.

"Good evening, madam. Is there anything that I can get for you while you wait for the rest of your party?"

Woah! Turn on the sprinkler system 'cause this guy is H-O-T, HOT! Wavy blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, muscles for days…mmmm, if I wasn't with Tommy I'd totally be flirting right now.

"Oh no thank you," I smile, pointing to my champagne flute.

"Okay then," he replies, flashing me his pearly whites. "Just flag me down if there's anything that I can do for you."

I nod my head and smile politely then he disappears to another table across the dining area. For a few minutes, I'm left alone to sip my champagne and analyze the situation that I'm in. Traffic wasn't bad so I'm actually a few minutes early. Since I sat down my eyes have been traveling around the restaurant, hoping to catch sight of someone I recognize but to no avail.

Some more time goes by and I'm no longer early. My date is late and whoever it is needs a crash course or two on proper date etiquette 'cause this is just rude. I have to admit, I'm feeling a little bit awkward sitting here in this fancy restaurant all by myself.

Eric's back at the table a few moments later, this time with a new flute of champagne resting on a tray with another of those little white cards that I've been getting throughout the day.

_Kimberly,_

_Sorry I'm late but I promise I didn't forget you. Go ahead and order whenever you're ready and I'll be there as soon as possible. See you soon._

_-Your Secret Admirer_

I smile and take the glass off of the tray which Eric promptly retrieves and tucks under his arm.

"Are you ready to order, madam?" Eric asks.

"Yes, I believe that I am," I reply, handing him my menu. "I think I'm going to go with the grilled baby chicken but do you think I could possibly substitute the risotto in place of the short rib hash?"

"That shouldn't be a problem," Eric answers with a nod, writing down my order on his pad. "I'll drop this off with the chef right now and have it out as soon as possible. Hopefully the rest of your party arrives soon so you aren't eating all by yourself."

He gives me a wry smile, almost as if he knows something that I don't and then leaves as quickly as he came. While I wait for my date, I nibble on a breadstick with fidgety hands. When I'm nervous I have a bad habit of fidgeting and right now I'm doing just that.

Two and a half glasses of champagne do their trick and pretty soon I'm needing to use the restroom but I don't want to leave just in case my date decides to actually show up while I'm gone.

Screw it! My date's already late. Tough luck if he has to wait on me for a few extra minutes. I give one quick look around one more time to make sure that no one I know is here and then dart towards the back of the restaurant.

I pass the double doors to the kitchen on my way to the restroom. Eric's standing in between the doors, talking very quietly to someone inside the kitchen. He notices me, smiles and then ducks into the kitchen, shutting the doors behind him.

That was a little odd but I shake it off nonetheless. I take care of business in the restroom and then return to my table where my half-full glass has been replaced with a new one. The way I'm being fed alcohol--while I'm alone, no less--makes me second guess what it is that I'm doing here.

I'm not the naïve little girl I used to be when I was a teenager. I know how people are and I know how guys are. I'm not saying all guys are bad--I've got the best in the bunch batting for Team Shortness--but most only have one thing on their mind.

So instead of starting off on this glass, I smart up and push it off to the side of the table. No one's gonna be taking advantage of this girl tonight! Or any other night, for that matter!

I'm alone for another five minutes before I feel a presence standing behind--and hovering over-- me. I don't move a muscle. Then the person speaks and every muscle in my body immdiately starts to tense up.

"Dinner is served," he whispers, making my heart flutter as he slides around, setting one plate in front of me and the other across the small table.

I try to control myself but I can't. I jump out of my seat and throw my arms around Tommy's neck, giggling when he lifts me into the air right there in front of everyone. He sets me down a few seconds later and gives me a long, loving kiss.

"I missed you, Beautiful," he smiles, holding my hands in his.

"I missed you too," I blush, suddenly finding myself being drawn into another hug as I lower my voice so only he can hear me. "Triple-B."

"Haha, very funny, Kim," he laughs, looking down on me.

Standing there in each other's arms, we're completely oblivious to everything going on around us. People could be gawking, servers could be trying to get by with orders, and we simply didn't care. We were too engrossed in each other to.

Eventually, though, we break our embrace and Tommy gently leads me back into my seat, tucking it in once I've re-taken it. He seemingly glides into his own chair as he unwraps his silverware from the napkin and lays the cloth on his lap.

He's looking at me with a huge smile on his face and I finally get my first good look at him. If he's learned nothing else in his years around me, he definitely has learned how to dress. He looks amazing in a black suit, black dress shirt, and a pink neck tie that matches my own tie perfectly.

For the longest time, neither of us say anything. We just sit there picking at our dinners--by the looks of it, Tommy ordered the Kansas City Steak--occasionally looking to each other with the brightest of smiles until I decide to break the silence.

"You had this planned out all along, didn't you?" I ask, taking a sip of my champagne. He gives me a guilty smile and shrugs his shoulders.

"Some of it. I hadn't planned on getting stuck in New York, though," he answers in between bites of his steak. "I had actually planned on doing a lot more--breakfast in bed, lunch in the park, a few more_private_ things--but because of the blizzard and everything…" he drifts off and I nod my head, letting him know that I understand. "Anyway, I'm here now, with you, and that's what's important."

"Yeah. It is," I tell him. I reach out and take his hand, stroking the top with my thumb. "So how did you manage to get back if the blizzard was still happening? I thought all flights were grounded."

"Correction. All _plane_ flights were grounded. I hitched a ride with an old friend," he replies, offering another guilty grin, this one accompanied with a wink. My eyes tell him to continue and he knows better than to argue so he does in a low whisper. "I called Andros and got a ride on the Megaship. But you can't tell anyone that I did that. Not Jason, not Trini, not Aisha, not anybody."

"Why not?" Hey, that's an honest question.

"Because I shouldn't have even done it and I don't want anyone knowing that I did," he tells me, his eyes imploring me to understand. "I wouldn't have even done it if I wasn't so desperate to get back today."

"What's so special about today?"

"You don't know?" Tommy asks. I think about it for a few seconds then shake my head and he gives me that stupid grin he gets when he knows he has even a little bit of control. "I'll let you think about it for a little while. See if you remember."

I fold my arms across my chest in mock defeat. He may have won the battle but the war will be mine. I'm determined to figure it out so I end up spending quite a bit of time thinking about what could be so special about today.

All the time in the world wouldn't have helped me, though. I seriously had no clue what Tommy was getting at. He wasn't going to budge either. Once he knows he has an advantage over me he'll do just about anything to keep it.

Before long, our plates are empty and we've polished off a bottle of champagne that looks too expensive to be in our budget. Matter of fact, now that I think about it, this whole evening seems that way.

Like I said before, we live comfortable but we aren't rich. We don't eat out often and when we do it's at more casual places like Applebee's and Chili's so I know tonight must be really special to Tommy. I'm actually feeling bad that it's so important to him and I don't have a clue what's going on.

"May I offer you some dessert this evening?" Eric asks, breaking me from my thoughts as he moves to take our plates away.

"Oh no. The bill will do just fine. We're on a tight schedule tonight," Tommy answers, winking at Eric and then at me. Eric nods, retrieves the bill from the apron tied around his waist and offers it to Tommy who just takes out a credit card and hands it off to him. "I don't want to see it. Just put it on that."

Eric smiles curtly and nods his head then leaves us.

"Tommy," I start, getting his attention. "Isn't this all a little bit…I don't know…_expensive_? I mean, I know memberships are up but can we really afford this?"

"Beautiful, don't worry about it. I told you this day was special. How much money it costs isn't important," he answers but I'm not buying it. He takes a deep breath and starts rubbing the back of his neck like he always does when he's nervous. "Look. If you must know, I had some money left over from when I was racing with my Uncle John."

Now I feel guilty for pestering him about it. He's gone to a lot of trouble to make this an amazing night and so far, he's succeeded in flying colors. I shouldn't be questioning him when he's doing this all for me.

"I'm sorry, Tommy. I was just…concerned," I explain.

We had a bit of a tough run a few months ago where money was extremely tight so Tommy understands my concerns. He tells me so just as Eric returns with Tommy's credit card and a receipt for him to sign.

"Thank you both for coming in," Eric says with a smile. "It's been a pleasure serving you this evening and I hope you enjoy the rest of your night together."

"Thanks. You too," we both reply in unison.

I'm tempted to call jinx but I don't really want to look childish in this place. Tommy smiles at me and mouths the word, as Eric turns to walk away, reaches out to stop him. He fishes into his pocket, pulls out his wallet, extracts a crisp fifty-dollar bill, and places it in Eric's hand.

"For everything you did tonight," Tommy explains.

"Oh, it was my pleasure" Eric replies, shaking Tommy's hand. "Thank you very much, sir."

Tommy nods his head, pats Eric on the shoulder and then turns back to pull my chair away from the table. He's such a gentleman. I swear, all of you girls out there who say that chivalry is dead just need to find a man like mine. Although, I'm sure that's easier said than done.

Our arms are interlocked as we exit the restaurant. It's colder than it was when I left and I realize that, in my haste to get ready, I forgot a jacket. I'm pretty sure Tommy can feel me shivering because he's got his suit coat off and around my shoulders in less than thirty seconds.

"Thanks," I whisper, tucking myself into the warm material.

"No problem, Beautiful," Tommy replies, pecking a kiss to my forehead.

The limousine is sitting outside, the driver outside waiting with Tommy's Jeep parked directly behind it. We get to the limo and he stops, turning so that we're facing each other.

"This is were I leave you for now," he says quietly, confusing me a little bit. "The limo's going to take you for a little ride around town and then on to our next destination. I have to go ahead and make sure that everything's perfect before you get there."

"Okay," I smile, shrugging my shoulders in acceptance. Usually I'd argue but tonight, I'm letting Tommy lead the way. "Just don't be too long. You know how I hate waiting for you."

"I promise, sweetheart," he replies, giving me a kiss right on the tip of my nose. I hear the limo door click open and Tommy guides me to it. "Your car awaits, my dear. I'll be seeing you shortly."

I just smile and duck my head into the limousine as the door shuts behind me. I can kind of make out Tommy talking to the limo driver and I catch something about an "hour" and "Anaheim." Now, as I'm driven away, I have to figure out two things; what's so special about tonight and what's awaiting me an hour away in Anaheim.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A little less than an hour later and I've got nothing. Today hasn't been very good as far as being Detective Kimberly goes. My sleuthing skills must be off 'cause I haven't the slightest clue as to what is going on. All I know is that we're somewhere in Anaheim but I'm not really familiar with this area much.

I don't have to wait long for answers, though. The door opens a few minutes later and Tommy ducks into the limousine holding a black cloth in his hands. He slides in next to me and pecks a kiss on my cheek.

"Put this on," he instructs, handing me the cloth.

Without hesitation, which I think caught him a little off guard, I take the cloth and tie it around my eyes so that I can't see anything. Right now, Tommy could tell me that we were going to jump off a bridge and I'd probably go with him. He has obviously gone to a lot of trouble to make this night perfect and I'm going to do my part to make sure it ends up that way.

Tommy takes my hand, helps me out of the limousine and we're immediately walking. He's got his arm around my waist, holding me closely and I've never felt safer than I am now; in the dark with the man I love leading the way.

We walk for almost ten minutes before I start to catch a familiar scent. I sniff a few times and recognize it almost immediately as horses. My grandparents had horses and I spent quite a few summers at their house in my childhood, tending to and riding the horses.

His hold on me breaks and I can feel him move to stand behind me. With strong hands he starts massaging my shoulders. He's got me purring like a kitten. I'm helpless in his hands.

"Oh god, Tommy," I moan, basking in the pleasure I'm feeling.

"Are you ready?" he whispers against my ear.

I nod my head and his hands move in silence to the knot on the blindfold. When it drops and flutters to the ground, I'm staring at a four-horse, white carriage. It's so gorgeous that I just have to stop and stare for a few moments.

Cinderella's got nothing on this one.

"Tommy, that's beautiful. Where are we going?" I ask.

"You'll see," he answers, taking my hand.

Fingers interlocked, he leads me to the carriage, helping me up inside before joining me on the white leather seats. The driver gives the reigns a quick tug and the wheels start to turn.

If this is what being a princess feels like, I could definitely get used to this.

"So have you figured out what today is?" Tommy questions with a smile.

"No," I mutter sheepishly, shaking my head. "I wracked my brain all throughout dinner and on the way here and I have no idea. Are you ever going to tell me."

"In time, Beautiful," he whispers, caressing my hands. "In time."

Aargh! Why does he have to play these games with me? He has to know that me not knowing what's up is driving me crazy. Why can't he just freaking tell me already?

"How long till we get there?"

"Soon, Kim. Just be patient. It'll all be worth it."

I'm sure it will be but I want to know what's going on. Unfortunately, while I've shed a lot of my more immature qualities from my teenage years, my need to be in the loop has never left me. If I don't know what's happening I feel like I'm missing out on something.

Still, I'm not going to let it go any further than that. I don't want to ruin this night for Tommy. Thankfully, the chariot ride isn't a very long one but I have no clue where we are. A few minutes into the ride, Tommy pulled all the curtains, so that I couldn't see anything but the inside of the carriage.

When the carriage comes to a stop, Tommy takes my hand again and leads me out into the open. My hands immediately go to my mouth when I see where we are. We're in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland and we're the only ones here.

Wait, scratch that. It's us and Brian McKnight and his backup band going through a sound check on that makeshift stage over there…

Holy shit! It's freaking Brian McKnight! I think I'm about to faint.

"Tommy…what…who…how…this…"

I can't find words right now. It's a rarity for me but I'm truly at a loss for words. I'm less than fifty-feet away from one of my all time favorite singers. I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to do or say here.

"Tanya is opening for him," Tommy whispers. "I knew they were going to be in L.A. touring so I called her up. I don't know how she did it but she convinced him to do this. I owe her big time."

"I'll say. And just how exactly did you manage to get the park closed?" I ask out loud and then silently to myself. I know the answer immediately. "No. Tell me you didn't get Rocky involved in this on top of Tanya, too."

Rocky surprised us all by getting his business degree a few years back and snagging a job in the upper echelon of the Disney Corporation. Now he's part of a team that oversees operations for the main Disneyland park as well as the California Adventure side as well.

"Guilty as charged," Tommy shrugged. "When I told him what today is, he told me there was no way he couldn't close the park for us."

"What is so special about today?" I ask. "I've seriously been doing nothing but trying to figure that out since dinner."

"Still haven't figured it out, huh?" Tommy questions rhetorically. I'm tempted to throw out a 'duh' but I bite my tongue and shake my head inside. "Let me paint you a picture. Angel Grove Lake, November 20, 1993, a few days after a certain Green Ranger had lost his powers. A tall, handsome, young man is doing a kata off in a clearing by himself when the most beautiful girl he's ever seen shows up."

He's got me blushing now. This is one story from my youth that I've carried with me into adulthood. I can't believe that I didn't remember what today was. I'm such an idiot sometimes, I swear!

"The young man is captivated, of course. I mean, how couldn't he be? She is the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, after all," Tommy smiles, then pauses for a few seconds before continuing the story. "He's been thinking about her nonstop and he wants to ask her to the dance but he's nervous. He doesn't know if she'll say yes or not."

"He should have known that the girl wanted nothing more than for him to ask. She had been thinking about him just as much," I interject, smiling up at him. "In fact, if he didn't ask, she was going to throw the rule book out the window and do it herself!"

"Yeah, well, like I said, he was nervous. He didn't think she'd say yes to him if he asked," Tommy continued, giving my hand a tight squeeze. "But then he surprised himself and got the courage to kiss her. After that, asking her to the dance was a piece of cake. She said yes and the rest is history."

"Not just any history, Tommy," I breathe, smiling as I step into a half-hug and lay my head on his shoulder. "_Our_ history."

Just then, the soft notes from a piano came from the stage area and we turned together to see Brian McKnight walking towards the microphone at the front of the stage. As he stood in front of the mic stand and all the other instruments started to join in on the melody, Tommy took my hands in his own.

"Kimberly. May I have this dance?"

"Yes, Tommy. You may," I smile up at him.

He leads me to the front of the stage, my arms go up around his neck and his slide around my waist. I step in as close as possible, resting the side of my head against his chest as we begin to sway side-to-side with the music.

I feel lost in Tommy's arms. His smell is intoxicating and, even though I'm as close to him as I can be, I want to be closer. I want him to know how much I love him with every fiber of my being and how sorry I am that I ever let him get away.

_It's undeniable... that we should be together...  
It's unbelievable how I used to say that I'd fall never  
The basis you need to know, if you don't know just how I feel,  
Then let me show you now that I'm for real...  
If all things in time, time will reveal...  
Yeah..._

_One... you're like a dream come true...  
Two... just wanna be with you...  
Three... girl it's plain to see...that your the only one for me...  
Four... repeat steps one through three...  
Five... make you fall in love with me...  
If ever I believe my work is done... then I start back at one_

_So incredible... the way things work themselves out...  
And all emotional, once you know what it's all about, babe...  
And undesirable...for us to be apart...  
Never would have made it very far...  
Cause you know you've got the keys to my heart  
Cause..._

_One... you're like a dream come true  
Two... just wanna be with you  
Three... girl it's plain to see... that your the only one for me  
Four.. .repeat steps one through three  
Five... make you fall in love with me  
If ever I believe my work is done... then I start back at one_

_Say farewell to the dark of night... I see the coming of the sun...  
I feel like a little child... whose life has just begun...  
You came and breathed new life  
Into this lonely heart of mine...  
You threw out the life line... just in the nick of time…_

_One... you're like a dream come true  
Two... just wanna be with you  
Three... girl it's plain to see... that your the only one for me... girl and...  
Four... repeat steps one through three  
Five... make you fall in love with me  
If ever I believe my work is done... then I start back at one._

The song comes to an end and Brian McKnight hops off the stage to greet us. We all shake hands and introduce each other, making a bit of small talk for a few minutes. He gives us each signed copies of his latest album and front row tickets to the concert tomorrow night before departing.

"Tommy, that was absolutely…incredible. Amazing. No, those words don't even do this justice," I tell him with all the genuineness I can muster. I want him to understand how much this evening has meant to me.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Tommy says softly with a grin that would make the Cheshire Cat blush. "But the night isn't over yet, Beautiful."

In the darkness of the night sky, Sleeping Beauty Castle is illuminated in bright shades of pink and blue light. Looking at the castle, I can't help but thinking that this would be the perfect place for a marriage propo…oh my God. Tommy's getting down on one knee.

Quick, Kim. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Oh no, now he's got my hand and he's reaching into his pocket. He's pulling out a little black box and I can feel my eyes start to water. He's really going to do it. He's really going to ask me to-

"Kimberly. Today is the day that I consider our anniversary. We may not have been official that day by the lake, but I like to think that that's the day our relationship really started," Tommy begins. He's got hold of my right hand and I'm using my left one to cover my surprised and flustered expression. "We started a new chapter of our lives that day and I think it's only fitting that we start the next one on that very same day. So with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy watching us, I want to ask you a question."

"What's that?" I manage to croak out with a smile through my tear-filled eyes.

"I want to know if you'll marry me. I want to know if you'll be my wife," Tommy replied, lifting the lid on the box.

It's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen. The band is gold with a simple yet elegant, single-diamond crown. It's not big or overly flashy but it's perfect in its own right. I'm in love with it but more so with the man that's holding it. I couldn't say no even if I wanted to which I have no intention of doing.

"Yes, Tommy. Oh God, yes!" I practically shout.

He's slips the ring on my finger then he's off his knee and I'm being pulled into another one of his hugs that I love so very, very much. Standing here in his arms, I still can't believe that we're really getting our second chance.

In my youth, I had often dreamed of what my marriage proposal would be like. As a young girl it had been with whoever the latest heartthrob actor was. Then I met Tommy and he was always the man I saw myself marrying in my dreams. Now it's actually happening and I've never felt this happy before.

We actually got our second chance. Neither one of us ever thought that it was going to happen but somehow, someway, it did. At that very moment, fireworks started to go off behind the castle and I'm taken back to the citywide celebration after we defeated Ivan Ooze. Tommy's got his arm around my shoulder and we're looking over the castle at a beautiful spectacle.

Flurries of loud, bright, breathtaking, fireworks are going off overhead. I'm half-expecting "Thank You, Power Rangers" to illuminate the night sky like it had done so many years ago. At a time when things were simpler.

Back then, all Tommy and I knew was about love was that we felt it towards each other. We didn't understand all the intricacies, the finer points about being in love with someone, but that didn't matter back then. We were living on love and loving every minute of it.

Now that we're adults, though, we can't live only on love. Being in love, for as amazing as it is, just doesn't pay the bills. But being here with Tommy, wrapped in his arms, I know we can tackle whatever life throws at us so long as we have each other to count on.

They say that as one door closes, a new one opens in its place. I'm liking where this new door seems to lead and I can't wait to see what the future holds for Tommy and myself, the soon-to-be Mrs. Tommy Oliver.

Mrs. Tommy Oliver. Yeah, I like the way that sounds.

"Thank you for an incredible night, Tommy," I say in a voice barely above a whisper.

I'm tucked under his arm, pressed against his side, and he's smiling at me. God, I love this man's smile. It melted my heart when I saw it for the first time and no time spent apart could ever change that. He's got my whole heart and he knows it.

Tommy's the only man I've never been afraid to give my heart to. After what I did to him, I always feared I'd end up with my own heart broken in any relationship, simply because I felt I deserved it for hurting Tommy. But giving it to him once we started talking again was so easy almost to the point of being scary.

Every moment we spent together, either at work or just hanging out, I felt myself being drawn to him again. That all culminated at Aisha's wedding and now here we are, six months later, and I'm engaged to be married.

And I've already got plans for the wedding…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_The third and (probably) final chapter will be the wedding. Leave some love on your way out. Talk to you soon._

_-WK_


End file.
